My Mute Bride

Not long after Victor left, Rachel heard the doorbell ring.

Originally thinking he left something behind, she opened the door, only to see a courier.

“Ms. Rachel Hudson?”

Upon hearing that, Rachel nodded.

“There are two intracity express parcels for you. Please sign here.”

Startled, she signed for the parcels, thereafter receiving a cake and a paper bag.

Right now on the table, there was still half an uneaten cake that Victor had rushed out to buy at noon upon finding out it was her birthday.

So, who bought the cake that the courier delivered?

Setting it aside on the table for now, she pulled a rectangular suede box out of the paper bag.

With a click, she opened it and discovered a silver-colored necklace in the box that glimmered underneath the light

The pendant was in the simple design of a small sun with a hollow center.

Putting down the box, she found a card on top of the cake box that simply read ‘Happy Birthday’ without any signature.

Dumbfounded, she stared at the items until her phone started vibrating.

It was a text message from Julian reading, ‘Did you receive what I sent?’

Immediately, she understood. ‘I did. I was wondering who would remember my birthday.’

‘Don’t forget that you’re a patient of mine. It’s not strange that I would remember your birthday.’

‘Thank you.

‘You’re welcome. Are you free? I just finished work; come down for a walk with me!

Looking at the time, she agreed, ‘Okay.’

At this hour after dinner, the community was lively. All of the houses were lit up, and the sound of children laughing could be heard around the neighborhood as they ran around playing.

she could even offer

is so pretty,

‘wait’ motion with her hand, she lifted a knife and a paper plate, preparing to cut into the

her and pulled some candles out of a box to the side. “Today is

that, the head of the group, which happened to be a little girl in pigtails,

must sing the ‘Happy

Rachel must close her eyes and

must blow out

head to indicate to Julian that there

candles and had the children sing ‘Happy Birthday’ in unison. The delicate chorus of young voices would have a healing effect on any of

“Make a wish.”

There’s no need.

Rachel. My mommy says you have to say it in your heart and not out loud, or the

found a little girl who wasn’t even at table height yet looking up at her with pretty,

made a wish. After that, she blew out the candles and

you!” their parents

plates, the children raced off, dabbing icing on each other’s faces. Just like that,

light of the streetlamp, Rachel finally smiled for the first time in days.

“The most important thing right

anyway, so I might as well pretend it never existed for now. At that point, Rachel’s expression

the child, he changed the topic and told her, “Go on upstairs, then. It’s been getting colder lately, so make

she turned and headed toward the

inside her apartment and about to close the

slam, the door was propped open by

at her, his darkened face made all the more grotesque by the centipede-like scar

out on business?

sideways into the house and shut the door before surveying the

been getting along fine

took two steps back.

her as he pulled off his necktie and threw

were like unmelting icebergs as he sneered, “I suppose you wouldn’t want me to ruin

by step he approached her, forcing

Rachel had no idea what she did

of her arm and pulled, she staggered after him and was dragged all the way